Explore the desert from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock (Uluru) before continuing to Canberra and its natural wonders , beautiful coastlines and the famous Snowy Mountains. The Indigenous peoples of this area have lived here for over 20,000 years. A visit to Deep Space Complex and Mt. Stromlo are included before enjoying the cosmopolitan Sydney.

Friday/Sunday, November 09/11, 2012 —USA – Cairns, Australia
Depart from your USA gateway for your flight to Australia. Cross the International dateline and lose a day but you will gain it on the return. Upon arrival at Cairns, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for four nights. Novotel Oasis Cairns or Pacific International Cairns

Monday, November 12, 2012 —Cairns
Depart the hotel for the Great Barrier Reef vessel. Enjoy the one and half hour cruise to Upolu
Cay on the Great Barrier Reef of turquoise water and many types of corals, reef fishes, stingrays, cucumbers, and sea stars. Snorkel and dive here. Assistance is provided to ensure all guests enjoy the reef. Lunch is served as we cruise to our second site, the "Wonder Wall" on the Outer Edge of Upolu Reef. View many different types of hard and soft coral in addition to fans, giant clams, turtles, and a huge diversity of reef fish of all sizes. B/L

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 —Cairns
This morning we depart our hotel with Adventure North. Learn about our area's rich Aboriginal history and culture with the Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours combined with the oldest living rainforest on the planet including the spectacular Niau Falls. Walk with brothers, Brandan and Linc Walker on pristine Cooya Beach and learn to how observe wildlife through the mangroves. Enjoy morning tea as the Walker boys show and explain artifacts, tools, or how to play a didgeridoo. We continue north to the Daintree Village for an hour Daintree River Cruise. B/L

November 14, 2012 —ECLIPSE Green Island
Depart from hotel early morning to Cairns Wharf where you will board a large catamaran for the cruise to Green Island. On completion of the eclipse event, sail back to Cairns. The remainder of the day is at leisure prior to the Australian Bar-B-Que tonight. Bar-B-Que

Thursday, November 15, 2012 —Cairns – Alice Springs
Transfer back to Cairns airport for your flight to Alice Springs. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel, with a tour of Alice Springs. Visit the Desert Park and the base of the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Alice Springs Desert Park you will discover the landscapes, animals and plants, and their traditional use and management by Aboriginal people. On arrival, a spectacular cinematic journey will take you through 4,500 million years of desert evolution along an easy walking path to explore the three major habitats - Desert Rivers, Sand Country and Woodland, featuring over 120 species of animals and 350 species of plants. Crowne Plaza Alice Springs B/D

Friday, November 16, 2012 —Alice Springs - Uluru
Today we travel to Ayers Rock (Uluru). En route, we enjoy our driver/guide's commentary on Aboriginal culture and history and stop for a brief lunch (own expense) to experience the rough, outback life at an Aboriginal Station.
This afternoon we depart our hotel for the Cultural Centre and an introduction to Tjukurpa (law, knowledge, religion, philosophy), Anangu art, Anangu way of life (traditional and current), history, languages, wildlife and joint managements of the Park. Depart the Cultural Centre and enjoy touring the base of the monolith and the Mutitjulu Base Walk - this track leads to a special waterhole, the home of Wanampi, an ancestral watersnake. For centuries Mutitjulu was an important campsite for Anangu at Uluru. On this walk you will learn about Kuniya Tjukurpa – the great battle between Kuniya (woma python) and Liru (poisonous snake man). At sunset admire the ever-changing array of colors of the mighty monolith while the sun sinks below the horizon, while enjoying cocktails and nibbles, before returning to our oasis in the middle of the desert for the night. Desert GardensB

Saturday, November 17, 2012 —Uluru – Canberra
Watch the color change at sunrise over Kata Tjuta as a result from the effects of the Earth's atmosphere on the sun's incoming rays. The dust particles and water vapor which are present in the earth's atmosphere act as a filter which can remove the bluer light from the incoming rays of the sun, allowing the redder light through at different times of day. On completion of sunrise we start our walk into the Valley of Winds, an aboriginal holy site. The highlight of visiting the Olgas is the Valley of the Winds walk, a path that cuts 3 km deep into the long, narrow spaces between the high domes, where the winds howl and carry one's echoes far down the gorges. Transfer to the airport for our flight to Canberra. Crowne Plaza CanberraB/D

Sunday, November 18, 2012 —Canberra – Deep Space Complex – Mt. Stromlo
Depart today for the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex as well as other Canberra National Icons including the War Memorial. For over 40 years, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex has played a key role in the exploration of space as part of NASA's Deep Space Network. The Canberra Space Centre is located on the grounds of the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC). You can take in magnificent views of the largest antenna complex in the southern hemisphere, see a piece of the Moon that's over 3.8 billion years old, check out the latest images from Mars, spacecraft models, and real, flown space hardware. Discover the foods that astronauts eat on the space shuttle and space station, watch a movie on the history and future of space exploration, take a hands-on trip around the Solar System or across the galaxy. Continue with a visit to Mt. Stromlo Observatory. B/D

Tuesday, November 20, 2012 —Sydney
This morning we depart for our sights of Sydney and the famous beaches. Driving through the city centre, we will see many contrasts - from the traditional Victorian architecture of the Town Hall and the Queen Victoria Building to the modern skyscrapers of the business district; from the sweeping design of the Opera House to the modern developments of Darling Harbour. Drive through the Botanic Garden to Lady Macquarie's Chair and then to the exclusive eastern suburbs, passing Kings Cross en route to Vaucluse and Double Bay. Visit historic Paddington with its iron railed town houses, arriving at Circular Quay for our lunch. On completion of the cruise, proceed to the Sydney Opera House for guided tour through the theatres and explanation of the fascinating history and architecture. B/L

Wednesday, November 21, 2012 —Sydney – Home city
Transfer to the Sydney International airport for flight onward or extend your stay Down Under. B